Solving the seeming contradiction between a loving God and the reality of evil is usually referred to as a theodicy. A theodicy attempts to solve the apparent tensions in what is often termed the problem of evil. But the problem of evil is really a series of problems. Like many large problems‚ sometimes it is helpful to break them down into their components. Evil‚ you see‚ actually extends not only to the moral world but also to the natural world. When human beings do bad things to one another‚ this
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a)For what reason is the Problem of Evil a problem for religious believers? (9) Probably the most powerful reason against the existence of The Classical God of Theism (hereafter referred to as God) is evil and suffering in the world. The problem of evil is an ‘a posterori’ argument‚ established from experience based on empirical senses. It is also synthetic as evil and suffering can be seen around us daily. There are a number of possible reasons for the problem of evil and why it causes a problem
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In Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion we are introduced to three characters that serve the purpose to debate God and his nature‚ more specifically‚ what can mankind infer about God and his nature. The three characters; Demea‚ Philo‚ and Cleanthes all engage in a debate concerning this question and they all serve the purpose of supporting their views on the subject. It is the "argument from design" put forth by Cleanthes that is the focal point of the discussion‚ and it is Demea and Philo
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The debate on free will is a complex issue that cannot simply be answered. As we know free will is an ontological issue. Each person must come to their own conclusion based on several things such as life experiences‚ religious beliefs‚ readings‚ and so on. Some of the readings we have analyzed in class have to do with whether or not we have free will. If there is an all omniscient God that knows everything before we do then does that mean we have free will‚ if God already knows what’s going to happen
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Candide Voltaire said in a letter to Fredrick the Great‚ “Christianity is the most ridiculous‚ the most absurd‚ and bloody religion that has ever infected the world.” Clearly‚ Voltaire believes that religion is a sham. Voltaire made multiple attacks against the Catholic Church. Voltaire’s satire‚ Candide‚ explains why we do not live in the “best of all possible worlds.” This optimistic idea from the character Pangloss‚ is torn apart by the people and concatenations in Candide’s journey. Candide encounters
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The Euthyphro Dilemma When assessing the nature of morality‚ one must determine the reasons for believing certain actions to be right or wrong. In the following paragraphs I am going to explain what The Euthyphro Dilemma is and the threat that each of its horns imposes. Then I will defend The Divine Command Theory against these objections and demonstrate how it not only survives the two horns‚ but is also the stronger position to assume. In the Euthyphro‚ Socrates asks the age old question about
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Adam George Philosophy 101 Fall 2009 “The Problem of Evil” Many people dispute the true intentions of God‚ himself‚ since the beginning of mankind. Opposing and concurring arguments can be just as primitive. Regardless of personal perspective on any indefinite theory‚ it is undeniable that the controversy between good and evil will inevitably exist. Two dominant philosophers discussed in “The Problem of Evil” are Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and David Hume. Both of these authors discuss
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Pei Ou Theo 279 20 September 2013 When Bad Things Happen to Good People The author Harold Kushner wrote this book because his spent a life to search what puzzled him for a long time. He experienced tragedy in his early life. His son was found afflicted with progeria that is a kind of the fatal illness of pre-mature aging. He fall into hopelessness‚ and then started to question God. Why bad things often happen to good people? Many people may confuse this question too. If God really exists
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Mathew Marko Introduction to Jewish Philosophy (PHL 412) January 8‚ 2012 Evil‚ Suffering‚ and the Human Condition according to the Philosophies of Rambam and Rabbi Artson. It is impossible to look at the world and not see tremendous suffering‚ evil‚ and injustice. The existence of despotic rulers depriving millions of life and liberty‚ massive acts of natural destruction‚ untimely deaths‚ debilitating and deadly diseases‚ and more‚ must beg the religious person to question how this can
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The Existence of Evil and God In this paper I will argue that the existence of evil does not prove that a God does not exist. For many people the existence of evil and suffering is their number one objection to the existence of God. At times the evil that we see is so pointless. The evil in our world is of such an unspeakable nature that it is difficult at times to fathom what possible purpose could it serve. It is difficult for us to understand why God would allow some things to happen‚
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